The Mid-American Conference on Monday announced its Week Two MAC Football Players of the Week.

East DivisionOffensive Player of the Week: Buffalo QB Joe LicataBuffalo junior quarterback Joe Licata (Williamsville, N.Y.) went 35-of-50 for 401 yards and five touchdowns in a 47-39 loss at Army on Saturday. The five touchdowns were the most by a Buffalo quarterback in the Bulls' FBS era and the 401 yards was the third-highest total. Licata nearly single-handedly brought the Bulls back from a large deficit in the second half as he went 27-of-35 for 320 yards and five scores in the second half alone. Defensive Player of the Week: Ohio LB Quentin PolingOhio redshirt freshman linebacker Quentin Poling (Spencerville, Ohio) helped anchor a defensive unit that limited Kentucky to just 215 yards of total offense and six points over the final three quarters of play in a 20-3 loss at Kentucky. Poling also notched a career-high 10 tackles, two sacks and two and one-half tackles for loss. Special Teams Player of the Week: Bowling Green PR Ryan BurbrinkJunior punt returner Ryan Burbrink (Shady Side, Md.) returned the second punt of his career for a touchdown in Saturday's 48-7 win over VMI. Burbrink’s 75-yard punt return for a touchdown came late in the first quarter and gave the Falcons a 14-0 lead. Burbrink's punt return for a touchdown marked the second consecutive season in which he has returned a punt for a TD in the Falcons' home opener.

West Division

Offensive Player of the Week: Central Michigan RB Thomas Rawls

Senior running back Thomas Rawls (Flint, Mich.) led the Chippewas to a 38-17 victory at Purdue. Rawls finished with 155 yards on 31 carries and scored two touchdowns, and added 50 yards on three receptions. One of his catches was a second-quarter screen pass the he turned into a 40-yard gain to the Purdue 5-yard line, leading to a touchdown that put Central Michigan up, 21-7. Rawls churned out 134 yards of his rushing total in the second half, when he carried 24 times.

Defensive Player of the Week: Northern Illinois LB Rasheen Lemon

Junior linebacker Rasheen Lemon (Chicago, Ill.) was all over the field Saturday in NIU’s 23-15 win at Northwestern. The Huskie defense held Northwestern scoreless for the entire first half and limited the Wildcats to just a single touchdown through the first 57 minutes of the game. Lemon led NIU with a career-high nine tackles and two quarterback sacks. Lemon was part of a NIU defensive effort that held Northwestern to zero net yards rushing in the second half.

Special Teams Player of the Week: Toledo K Jeremiah Detmer

Senior kicker Jeremiah Detmer (Hilliard, Ohio) made 1-2 field goals and four of his five kickoffs went for touchbacks in a 49-24 loss to Missouri on Saturday. Detmer made a field goal was from 40 yards and his missed attempt for 44 yards that was blocked.

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Mike Smith saw his first MAC footb﻿a﻿ll action as a nine-year-old while hanging onto the flagpole of a nearby baseball stadium. The view got better after he discovered he could get in free at halftime. Decades later, he can usually be found either on press row or along the sidelines.Mike has won awards for both his stories and pictures during his time in journalism. Combining his own skills with those of other writers and photographers, along with conference and school resources, he constantly works to provide an enjoyable MAC product.

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